At your final TSG meeting, please take some time to assess the impact of your group’s work. The focus is to document the differences that the TSG made in teachers’ knowledge and skills, and how these differences positively impact student learning. This document will be shared with the School Board and will be part of the TSG’s file.
Name
BEFORE the TSG began its work …
AT THE END of the TSG’s work …
AS A NEXT STEP, TSG participants are thinking about …
Joan Evans
I have looked at others' wikkis over the past few years and have always wanted to try one out. I thought this TSG would be the perfect opportunity to learn how to create and use a wikki as a professional development tool.
I am thankful for the time I've had to figure this system out and see how I might improve it as we go. The ability for members to comment and update information in thier own space and time is great. As with any task, when things are left open ended folks need reminding. The wikki allows for that. As a facilitator I feel this format has been fantastic! It allowed us to work independently and yet share our learning and comments in one spot. I'm looking forward to seeing more work examples posted on the project page.
If I facilitate a TSG again I will certainly use this. Roberta has asked for my help in thinking through how DCC might use a wikki to accomplish its work this coming year. I could see the Instructional Tech. CC starting a new wikki for our work. Finally, I think this could be a really fun and interactive way for students to work together between grade levels, buildings, states or countries! It's a great collaborative tool.
Susan Schmaling
Anne Bucalo
I wasn't sure what I would be doing--if the group would be working together or doing individual projects. I knew that I'd learned about some websites that I'd like to explore while I was at WEMTA and hoped I'd have some time to explore them.
I spent the first 4 hours looking at changes and additions to BADGERLINK. The next 4 hours were spent exploring Thinkfinity. Also, as a group we discussed social networking and its implications. Very thought provoking. I look forward to more discussion and decisions for district policy.
I will plan to share new components of BADGERLINK with the staff. Also to introduce them to Thinkfinity and it's use for teacher curriculum planning. It will be interesting to continue the discussions and outcomes of the work done by others in this group.
Kim Hettinger
Brooke Hauser
I was excited to have time set aside to explore the Web 2.0 technologies I'd heard about through WEMTA and from the book The Digital Diet. I wasn't sure if we'd be working independently or collaborating.
I realized I have many hours I can put into the project I started. I think it's going to be excited to build on a website we can share with teachers in our district as a quick start guide to new technologies available.
Kim and I will continue to collaborate on the style and format of the blog or wiki for sharing the Web 2.0 information we're collecting. Making it easy to use and teacher friendly within the busy schedules we all have will be important, as well as getting the word out that this new resource exists.
Barbara Koechley
I knew that the other TSG participants attended the same technology conferences I attended this year. As we were leaving the conferences, we were all excited about many of the technology innovations we were shown at the conferences but a bit frustrated that we didn't have time to delve deeper into these Web 2.0 tools.
This TSG group gave us that time.
I was hoping to use the TSG to explore classroom management systems. I had taken the Moodle study group and didn't enjoy the limited format Moodle allowed. I wanted to find something I could use for the technology study groups I was facilitating over the summer. I had seen some other free alternatives at conferences that I wanted to explore.
We had some great discussions in our group and shared what we knew and/or had done with some of the Web 2.0 tools.
I was able to figure out how to use a classroom management tool for other TSGs. I am using Edu 2.0 for schools. It is a free, web-based education site with comprehensive features for teachers, students and parents. Anyone can teach and/or learn using the system, whether it's at school or at home.
I was also glad to have the time to work with Kim and look at policies. We created a Photo and Video Disclaimer form to be given to our parents, on behalf of their children. We were able to more clearly spell out what teachers could do and would not do with our students' photos, videos, and personal information. The disclaimer also gives the parents knowledge about and, if they wish, control over their child's exposure from school to the wider community.
I hope to use and add to the 'Web 2.0 tools' information Brooke and Kim have created.
I am excited that my TSG participants want to and can use Edu 2.0 all year long to share what we are doing with mobile devices for our own teaching and for student learning, use it as a place for the documentation of device use, and a place to ask questions. It is a perfect medium to collaborate with your PLC.
I think we need to continue to look at policy as it relates to the use of technology in the schools. As mobile devices and wireless become the norm, we will have to establish policies that promote their use in 24/7 learning for our teachers and students.
This TSG group gave us that time.
I was hoping to use the TSG to explore classroom management systems. I had taken the Moodle study group and didn't enjoy the limited format Moodle allowed. I wanted to find something I could use for the technology study groups I was facilitating over the summer. I had seen some other free alternatives at conferences that I wanted to explore.
I was able to figure out how to use a classroom management tool for other TSGs. I am using Edu 2.0 for schools. It is a free, web-based education site with comprehensive features for teachers, students and parents. Anyone can teach and/or learn using the system, whether it's at school or at home.
I was also glad to have the time to work with Kim and look at policies. We created a Photo and Video Disclaimer form to be given to our parents, on behalf of their children. We were able to more clearly spell out what teachers could do and would not do with our students' photos, videos, and personal information. The disclaimer also gives the parents knowledge about and, if they wish, control over their child's exposure from school to the wider community.
I am excited that my TSG participants want to and can use Edu 2.0 all year long to share what we are doing with mobile devices for our own teaching and for student learning, use it as a place for the documentation of device use, and a place to ask questions. It is a perfect medium to collaborate with your PLC.
I think we need to continue to look at policy as it relates to the use of technology in the schools. As mobile devices and wireless become the norm, we will have to establish policies that promote their use in 24/7 learning for our teachers and students.